The legendary guitarist Jeff Beck called a “profound influence”
There was a time when music wasn’t nearly as diverse as it is today. For a long period, things were more linear, with everyone from the classic rock era drawing from the same influences, given that the genre had recently emerged with much innovation still to come. This meant that all the wide-eyed musicians of this era, such as Jeff Beck, Eric Clapton, and Jimmy Page, revered the same rock ‘n’ roll pioneers. They didn’t find themselves locked in arguments about cultural relevance as people do nowadays. Practically all guitar music was exciting.
Today, people love all kinds of music, and various subcultures are attached to different genres. Despite claims that subcultures are fading due to the expansion of the internet and a supposedly postmodern outlook blending once-opposing forms into an eclectic mix, we are blessed with an abundance of choices. For those of Beck’s age, though, things were much simpler. When rock ‘n’ roll arrived, it was a rebellious force with no real alternative except jazz, which was still considered a distinct entity in those early years.
Rock ‘n’ roll represented the future, and it galvanised the baby boomer generation. Thanks to the refreshing efforts of Chuck Berry, Little Richard, Elvis Presley, and Gene Vincent, people of Beck’s generation were shown the light. It would inspire them, influencing many to pick up a guitar, leave home, and institute their own innovations on the fretboard, pulling the genre along with the times.
The late Beck was always clear about his influences, and one man who inspired him more than most was Les Paul. A significant trailblazer, the autodidactic guitar hero blended blues, country and jazz with an experimental spirit, which included a love of tinkering with effects like delay and phasing. Setting the scene for Beck and his contemporaries to toy with the limits of the guitar and the studio, without him, it’s certain that those who rose in the 1960s wouldn’t have forged such expansive proclivities.
Alongside his wife, Mary Ford, Paul shipped millions of albums in the 1950s and was at the forefront of the rock ‘n’ roll revolution. He also devised ‘The Log’ prototype, which laid the foundations for Gibson’s now iconic Les Paul model, and so many of his acolytes, such as Beck, would weaponise it.
In 2011, Beck cemented his lifelong devotion to Les Paul when he released the live album Rock ‘n’ Roll Party (Honoring Les Paul). A tribute to the pioneering rock ‘n’ roller, it was recorded at New York’s Iridium Jazz Club, where Paul played nearly weekly until his 2009 death. The record features popular hits from the era, many of which he had played.
Discussing the album and Paul when speaking to Classic Rock in 2014, Beck was clear about the impact of the American on his work. He dubbed him a “profound influence” and celebrated his sheer class. He said: “He was a profound influence on me when I was growing up. His records were treasured. I absorbed all his tonal variations. His music was memorable, not just a barbaric rock’n’roll thing. He had class. His guitar bends were delicious and the runs were fabulous.”
In Ford, Paul had the perfect singer Beck maintained. He also recalled that their music reminded him of a time of pure innocence when he was locked in the bombardment of new and exciting rock ‘n’ roll arriving almost daily. They provided him with an antidote to the boredom of school, a way to impress the local girls, and most importantly, a way out of the Surrey suburbs.
